The meeting is part of the flagship actions of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and aims to upgrade the individual destinations of our country.
The subject of the meeting was the current state of tourism in the Free District of Famagusta, as well as the challenges facing this said district, as a tourist destination in view of the 2026 tourist season.
The discussion began with a presentation by the Tourism Observatory of all statistical data concerning tourism in the Famagusta District. This was followed by an extensive discussion and exchange of views based on memoranda submitted by the two municipalities to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
At the end of the meeting, the presentation of the results of the Famagusta District Online Promotion Campaign, which has been implemented for the last two years through a joint effort of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, PASYXE, the Municipalities of Ayia Napa and Paralimni-Deryneia, HERMES Airports and the Famagusta Regional Tourism Authority, took place in the same venue.
In his statements, Koumis said, "We are here in the context of another emblematic action of the government that aims to upgrade the tourist destinations of our country. We had the opportunity today to see, in the presence of both mayors and representatives of all tourist bodies, all that characterizes the two destinations that have been leading the tourist events of our country for years, and I am referring to the destinations of Ayia Napa and Protaras. We had the opportunity to see the advantages and disadvantages that characterise the destinations but also the individual threats that loom before us, such as climate change. Our responsibility as a Deputy Ministry is to coordinate better both with the local authorities, which play a huge role in shaping the destinations, and also with the industry more broadly in order to upgrade the tourist product. We discussed many issues.”
Koumis continued by saying, “Tourism, you see, is a very dynamic sector, where some issues are moving at breakneck speed, new trends emerge every year, new problems, new threats arise, and we must take the appropriate measures to be internationally competitive. I think we have succeeded to a very good extent in previous years. The bar remains high for 2026. Already the first messages regarding reservations are extremely encouraging for 2026. The big bet is that all these visitors who come to our country, when they depart from our country, depart satisfied.What I want to note after today's meeting is that both local authorities have carried out important projects in recent years and have proceeded with projects that have really led to an upgrade of the tourism product. We have seen tree plantings, we have seen projects that connect the destinations with their history, we have seen the placement of sculptures and new reference points for the destinations. Therefore, we want all of this to continue and we are here to coordinate them even better with the leaders of the individual tourist destinations.
In relation to the presentation of the results of the Online Promotion Campaign, Koumis said, "It is another example of a loving collaboration between the public and private sectors. As I have repeated many times, when the public and private sectors collaborate, the results are as expected. We continue for 2026."
Particular reference was also made to the goal of extending the tourist season in the months of November and March through targeted online promotion using videos and digital advertising media towards selected audiences interested in traveling to destinations such as the Famagusta District.
